Iraq's National Security Council approves sovereignty-protection plan

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's National Security Council convened an extraordinary session in Baghdad on Wednesday under Prime Minister and Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Ali Falih al-Zeydi, following airstrikes carried out by the United States and Saudi Arabia against positions of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) on Iraqi territory. The PMF said 20 of its members were killed and 32 others wounded in the strikes. Council spokesperson Sabah al-Numan said the body condemned the attack, which took place as the Iraqi government was conducting talks between Riyadh and Washington regarding the targeting of Saudi soil. The council approved a comprehensive security plan aimed at strengthening control of Iraqi territory and safeguarding sovereignty. The Foreign Ministry was tasked with documenting the attack and pursuing Iraq's legal rights under international law and the UN Charter. The council stressed that responding to any aggression falls solely within the authority of the Iraqi state and its constitutional institutions. The government also confirmed that the security agreement ending the International Coalition mission remains in force and that the process of bringing weapons under state control will be completed. Separately, Prime Minister al-Zeydi's planned visit to Saudi Arabia was cancelled. Shia National Movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr called for keeping Iraq out of regional conflicts.